


Glory Unbound

by Sinworks



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: I think this will be my favorite Theseus Thirst Adventure, M/M, also i think this might be cute? it might get cute. slightly., but that's how it is when the dicks come out, last chapter is almost the same length as the rest of the fic before it, laugh all you want but this WILL make you horny or i will eat this pomegranate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:26:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26920612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinworks/pseuds/Sinworks
Summary: The greatest gift to the heroes of Elysium is the River Lethe, whose primordial waters soothe their wounds and wash away their memories and feelings of shame and sorrow...
Relationships: Theseus/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 130





	1. The Discovery

"You know, I've always wanted to know what happens to those heroic shades when I kill them. They burst into those brilliant lights, don't they? So where do they go?"

" _Hrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeerrrgghhhh._ "

"...You're right, I _should_ find out for myself."

Pretending Charon could speak a language he could understand had always amused Zagreus, but occasionally he got caught up in the game and forgot that actually retrieving information from the boatman was simply a boneheaded endeavor. The latest evidence of that had been a few bruises courtesy of his oar.

He'd never actually tried to descend _into_ the Underworld before. No doubt his father, were he still waiting up here on the surface instead of recently humbled and sent back down the Styx to his office, would've been overjoyed to see him finally do the unthinkable and turn back. But seeing as the Styx would take him anyway if he tried to venture too far out into the surface world, he may as well take his time getting back by exploring the gardens of Elysium. It might actually be fairly pleasant without a bunch of bloodthirsty shades eagerly trying to run him through for the glory of it all.

Down the steps he went, retreading his beaten path, until finally he pushed the doors wide again and found himself at the gap between afterlives. The clockwork grinding of gears and the tinkling of the fountain were present as ever. It would be nice to visit with Achilles and Patroclus, while he was doing this. But as he passed the glass case of treasures, he paused. Surely he hadn't slain _every_ last shade on his trek through the heaven of warriors, and the lucky tooth that sat in his pocket had used up its power. It would be utterly humiliating to succeed in vanquishing every last threat that stood in his way, only to fall to a lesser shade on the way back. Hypnos would never let anyone forget it.

Resolving to make this walk as pleasant as possible, he opened the case, replacing the tooth and examining his other options. His eye drifted to one he so far hadn't used often, the Sigil of the Dead. Actually...why _hadn't_ he used that more often? Not only could he avoid a lot of trouble with its signature power, but it would probably have earned a nicely flabbergasted reaction or two from Theseus, who still stood resolute in his determination that Zagreus was an errant demon attempting to subvert the Underworld and defile its gardens.

The Sigil hung around his neck from a gold chain, sitting against his chest, and as he flexed the power contained within it, Zagreus saw his own form waver and vanish momentarily. Yes, this should do nicely in keeping the shades off of his back.

Another set of grand doors was opened, and Zagreus found himself for the first time staring at an empty, silent stadium. Truth be told, it was a little eerie; the bloodstains from his bout with the King and the Minotaur were still fresh and in some places wet, and he stepped around them so as not to leave any more footprints in them than were already present. He gazed up around at the stands, wondering how the shades got there; so far he had not seen any sign of an alternate entrance to this place. But he did not let this trouble him long, retreating further back through Elysium, choosing one of the doors he knew did not lead back through Charon's shop.

As he strolled around through garden after garden, he thought that he quite envied the heroes who allegedly deserved this place. It truly was beautiful, and the air was, while not of the same shocking and somewhat adverse quality of the surface world, quite refreshing in its own right. He would never have credited his father with such a grand and luxurious place. The river Lethe, its misted swirling waters hiding all sorts of lives and histories within, could be seen in many rooms. Certain of these rooms, free of walls and ceilings, were apparently floating on the massive breadth of the river, though one would never know it by their footsteps. Of the vistas he passed by, many detained him, offering a beautiful scenic view off of a cliffside, or a fleeting snack offered from the waving branches of a tree. _It's little wonder the shades here have so much energy_ , Zagreus thought once when sitting under a moss-covered garden wall. _I can feel what wounds I have easing just by being here_.

But true to his apprehensions, he was not alone the entire trek through. Well before finding any sign of the loving warriors he called friends, he opened the door to another vista, quickly triggering his invisibility upon finding an alarmed Exalted, who had grabbed his spear in order to defend against a threat he had heard, but not seen. Zagreus wandered quietly around, scanning for other hostile presences. Seeing that it was just the one, who had otherwise been minding his own business, he wondered if it might not be a bit unsporting to try and push him into the river, as it flowed past the garden here in its widest, most welcoming capacity yet, or to just knock him right off the ledge and send him plummeting to another brilliant termination. Then again, he'd tried the peaceful route before now, and it had failed...

" _Huagh!_ "

_Down you go..._

He continued on a ways after, finding that he might just spend the rest of his days here if nothing swayed him. Surely it would be a matter of some time before the already sparsely-populated place filled up again with hostile warriors? Until then, he could follow the Lethe until he found a nice olive tree to sleep under...

And it seemed he had found just that, and resolved to make good on that desire, when a door opened of its own accord. The prince hastily drew on the Sigil's power and hid himself, then raising Stygius to ward off attackers. To his great surprise, however, it was not a mere forgotten hero, but the Champion and his cohort Minotaur. Both looked rather weary as they strode into the room, and Zagreus felt a slight air of nervousness. It would not do to fight them a second time when they were fully rejuvenated and he was not. Could he simply escape without catching their notice? Somehow he doubted this...

"I hate him." came the bitter voice of the Champion, and Zagreus momentarily halted any plans of fleeing the room as he extended an ear to the conversation. "I will see him dead, next time..."

"I am sure you will, King." came Asterius' voice. As the prince watched, the two of them entered the room in full, the door closing behind them. Both were dressed in their full regalia, but only Theseus stopped at the river's edge.

"You're not joining me this time?" the surprised tone of the King asked.

"You go ahead. I will join you in a few minutes." the Bull answered. "I think the boatman is nearby, possibly with some well-cut meat and grain. If so, I will bring them back here."

As Zagreus looked on, the Minotaur left through the door he himself had entered through, and he was left alone with only the Champion of Elysium, though the latter did not know it. What was he to do now? Should he go for a sneak attack on Theseus, and break or slash his neck? But he thought of what Asterius would think, were he to return from a short shopping trip and find his dear friend vanished again. It would probably cost all respect between them... Of course, that was assuming his strike managed to slay the iron-like skin of the king in his full splendor. That much was unlikely. He lowered Stygius, and resolved instead to simply hover near the door and exit at the same time Asterius re-entered.

However, with nothing else to do, he simply watched Theseus in silence, his question of where exactly the man went when slain left unanswered, but the present situation leaving him curious nonetheless as to what happened afterwards. And yet despite it being somewhat obvious, the prince could never have expected exactly what he was about to see.

Completely unaware that he was being watched, Theseus, Hero-King of Athens, laid his spear and shield--both much less gilded than Zagreus could ever remember seeing them--on the ground, and then began to disrobe. Zagreus' head told him that he probably should not watch this, but his eyes remained firmly locked on what was happening before him, that being the king stripping down to nothing, discarding sandals and laurels atop the pile of his robes and champion's belt, leaving himself completely bare. There were but a few painful moments in which Zagreus' still-traitorous eyes scanned the hero's form and found nothing wanting. He was truly the marble ideal, with muscle layering every inch of him and covered in dark skin that remained sunkissed even long after the end of his life. Even his ass, that too was stunning...especially so. And as irritating as these unmonitored thoughts were, Zagreus would easily have preferred Theseus do nothing except sit there nude and waiting for the return of his bovine friend, because what happened next made everything so much worse. Before he could compose any of his thoughts into forms less embarrassing, the king strode forward, dipping one leg past the riverbank and into the waters of the Lethe, and then the other...and step by step, moved forward until he waded up to his waist in the waters of oblivion.

Zagreus frowned, and then bared his teeth. The audacity of this situation, really! Stuck in a room with Theseus as he bathed, not even able to console himself with a wisecrack at the other's expense! For surely if he could've done at least that, it might lessen the burden of sitting there, swallowing fervently, feeling himself flush as the hero began to wash himself.

Everything about that stupidly glorious body was amplified when wet. Even Zagreus was not so prideful as to imagine that he wasn't a perfect form, and he could easily see why the man inspired such throbbing hearts in his living days. Though the mists hovering over the water protected the modesty of the hero, hiding from view what exactly his cock might look like (Zagreus refused to speculate), everything above the surface, steadily soaking in a sheen of droplets, made his mouth water.

 _Restrain yourself_ , he futilely told himself. _It's Theseus, for Fates' sake_. Surely all he needed to do was all-too-easily imagine the hero opening his mouth, and anything following that, in order to stem any burgeoning lust for the man? And yet, it wasn't working.

The muscles in his back...the curve of his shoulders leading down to his arms...the way his hips sat just above the water, teasing the shape of his ass beneath it...and his hair, golden and bright even when slicked back atop his head...! The sounds of the water made it even worse, for the strange silence that normally adhered to the Lethe's flow was broken with every movement the hero-king made. Zagreus could only watch helplessly as the king's hands pulled the water up and over every inch of him, cleaning himself not just of blood and dirt, but weariness and stress and shame and aches of the heart. He could see it happening before his very eyes, the tendons and sinews of his shoulder blades relaxing, his breathing becoming less strained, his posture becoming less stiff. If only Theseus could always be like this: nude, nonviolent, and completely silent.

It seemed to go on forever. Zagreus sat there, miserably wondering how long it could take the man to bathe and exit the river, denying himself over and over and over again. His mouth was flooding with saliva, his blood pressure had risen, and at last he felt he would cave, his hand sliding beneath his own robes to take hold of his cock. Just once, and then he could forget this and never shame himself like this again...

And then, the door behind him opened, and Zagreus nearly left his skin behind, so bad was his fright.

_Asterius!_

The prince relished the chance to leave this situation, but between double-checking his invisibility to ensure his...distraction had not rid himself of his safety, and realizing that the Bull took up so much space that there was simply no way to slide past him as he entered the room, he lost it entirely.

 _Damn the Fates!_ he cursed internally. Asterius bore in one arm an assortment of foodstuffs, which were laid out on the riverbank. There was no talk for a time, as the food disappeared slowly but surely between the Minotaur and Theseus, who had swam out of the river and sat down to enjoy some. Finally shaken out of his stupor, Zagreus had determinedly looked away at the moment of truth, sparing himself the sight of whatever lay between the obnoxious hero's legs. When he looked back, the scene was peaceful and serene, and even kind of nice. Two friends, sharing a meal. And then, Asterius spoke.

"He beat us soundly, king."

Perhaps the only thing more shocking than the allure of the naked hero was what popped out of his mouth in response to this.

"I...I know he did, Asterius." came the soft reply.

There was a pause as the bull man ate a piece of fruit as well. Then...

"You know, he's really not all that bad."

"Even if that's so, I've no desire to discuss his character. I will slay him next time, is all."

The Minotaur snorted. "Such, ah, _humility_. I sometimes wonder if you should forego bathing in the Lethe upon reconstituting. I often wonder how things might change."

"Don't condescend to me." Theseus snipped waspishly. "I am the Champion, and he is...an interloper. A trespasser."

"He is a prince." Asterius responded simply.

"It matters not if he is." Theseus answered tersely. " _I_ am a king. I have duties, and frankly, I don't see why you pursue these discussions. Clearly, acknowledgement between you and him has not changed the outcome."

"It has perhaps changed our dialogue." Asterius answered. "I do sometimes think I am the happier one, between the two of us."

Theseus sighed. "Just...take your clothes off, and let's clean ourselves."

For a moment, he was free to contemplate what exactly he had heard. The man speaking to Asterius now could have been an entirely different person, because surely that was not King Theseus, at least not as the prince knew him. True, he was a bit impatient and downtrodden, but this itself was nothing resembling the boisterous confidence and ceaseless, prideful determination he had seen time after time again when challenging him in the arena. Was that the true power of the river? Was this a new side of Theseus that he had not yet seen, and never would again as long as it continued to perish in the river's waters? How unfortunate...it explained quite a bit in what was otherwise a conundrum of how exactly a man could rise up again and again with greater defiance and trash talk each time they faced each other.

But this little epiphany did not last. The heroes' meal discarded for the moment, Zagreus was again plunged into hell as Asterius, too, disrobed, and joined Theseus in wading into the waters of the Lethe, this time up to Theseus' shoulders and Asterius up to his chest. Utterly helpless, he watched as man and monster gently bathed one another, each caressing the other's body with a practiced precision that betrayed none of the lust that Zagreus, quite unfortunately, was feeling in full. What a friendship these two had. Now, if he could just _get out of here_.

The last thing he saw was Theseus slowly and deliberately leaning back, cupping water in his hands and bringing it up over his face, eyes closed as the oblivion penetrated him completely and every ounce of humility was doubtless washed away once more. That was the last thing he saw, because at this point, Zagreus had staggered as quietly as possible behind one of the low walls of the garden, trusting the sounds of the water to keep the two from hearing him as he hid himself, just in case his Sigil should fail him in the upcoming surrender to his body.

 _They have to leave at some point_ , he thought grimly. Wrapping his hand around his cock and preparing to achieve quietness he'd otherwise surely be incapable of, he closed his own eyes, desperate not to be discovered. _When Theseus and I next meet, I'm punching him extra hard, right in his handsome face_.


	2. The Confession

"Pardon me, my lady..."

Such was his courtesy to no one in particular as he washed away the power of love flowing through him, among others. It had been a big help so far, but with his quest for now done, he'd no longer be needing it. His pockets filled with gold obol as the boons left him, and, lifting his face and shaking his hair dry, and pondered his next move.

He could do what he usually did, and stop by Charon's Styx location to purchase some bounties, chat for a while, cuddle Cerberus...or, he could go back down to Elysium and check on Theseus and Asterius again.

It wasn't really that he desired to see anyone naked again, though he had to admit that probably wouldn't be a detriment. Ever since his first and, up til now, last spying session, he had been wondering all about the properties of the Lethe, and just how different Theseus was before purging himself of any ability to learn from his mistakes. It was like finding a bonus chapter in a long-discarded codex you had read a thousand times.

Eventually, his curiosity won out, and he swapped out Skelly's tooth for the Sigil of the Dead once again. He had to admit, he wanted to eavesdrop again. Of course, he also supposed he might should rehearse some excuses. Tempting the Fates was never wise, so it might do well to have a contingency plan for if he was discovered. Did he have any nectar remaining on him? Even without lying through his teeth, that might be useful. Perhaps this time, if things were not immediately made awkward by stumbling on the two in the midst of hygienic pursuits, he might could actually try saying hello.

Down he went, flexing his invisibility as he passed the gate between worlds and arrived again at the empty stadium. He had taken rather longer to find the Satyr Sack and defeat his father this time, so the various blood splatters were now dry and crunchy as he walked over them, the burning soles of his feet searing away the filth. There were also a great many more shades of the Exalted plodding about the gardens now, which he decided to leave alone. He was sure that, in the same vein as Theseus, perhaps not all of these former heroes were going to be as hostile as they usually were, but he was not willing to take bets, thus he tried to only use doors as someone was walking through them so as not to raise suspicions. And if his eavesdropping quest failed, he could always fall back on his original plan and find Achilles and Patroclus to hang out with.

At last, however, he followed the river to a large garden hall, where it passed through in a wide yet shallow bend. This room was quite crowded, and he knew from the vast silhouette of the Minotaur that he had found what he was looking for well before the door had shut behind him.

Quite unfortunately, he was too late to find anyone fully clothed. The Bull and the King were both merely knee-deep in the river's waters, displaying themselves in their full glories. Zagreus immediately swallowed--his eyes had passed over the mass of flesh that was the two heroes, and he was now tainted with the knowledge of the exact dimensions of the phallus swinging between the Champion's legs. Worse still, they were neither dry, nor alone. There were maybe ten or twelve other heroes in this garden, trading towels and stories, the low murmur of chatter buzzing through the air. It seemed he had stumbled on the men bathing, in much less private a manner than he would have expected. Looking on, he had at first thought that something quite indecent was happening, but on looking closer, he realized that the reason Theseus and Asterius were so closely surrounded was that the lesser shades were tending to them, cleaning them off as they had done for each other the last time he'd been here. The heroes would raise an arm, or roll a shoulder, and a few fellows would run wet cloths up and down the length of them, removing the blood and dirt. Two men bore the task of washing off Theseus, while three handled Asterius, and the rest bathed themselves, or else sat on the riverbanks, relaxing. The prince quickly felt himself flushing as he watched things play out. It was bad enough to see all of that masculine flesh laid bare and dripping wet, but to see it carefully, even _lovingly_ attended to by Theseus' very own compatriots...the small rags and blades being drawn up and down and across, dragging away small bits of filth and leaving the skin perfectly clean...There was no excuse for something so perfectly innocent as this to be so erotically fascinating.

 _Hmm. I suppose that's the luxury of being the Champion_ , Zagreus thought as he fought the natural bodily reactions to such a sight, along with a twinge of envy. Certainly being prince of the Underworld had never gotten _him_ an entourage of attendees willing to scrub him clean in the fountains. No wonder Theseus' head was a bit full.

He wanted to get closer to hear the conversations more clearly, but doing so was not easy. Certainly there was enough room to walk around, and little risk of being heard if he walked quietly, but there were enough men occupying this room that, even invisible, he was bound to be discovered eventually by virtue of someone simply brushing past him or stumbling right into him. At last, he found a quiet corner just at the edge of the water where the grass met the metal of the wall, suitably out of the way to prevent anyone blowing his cover, and much, much closer than he would've liked to Asterius and Theseus. He determinedly kept his eyes upward, aimed too high to receive any corrupting knowledge of Asterius' dimensions the way he had Theseus'. He was easily close enough to spy the water droplets running down each and every curve of muscle, and...every caress of fingers, and...even the flexing of the King's thighs when he shifted his weight. Damn it all, there was nothing for it. He was close enough to hear now, so he would simply close his eyes and blind himself to this incidence, and pray no one walked into him by accident.

"I think I got a few good hits in, that time." came the Champion's voice.

There was a snort from Asterius.

"Indeed you did, king, when you shook yourself free of your stupor."

There was a minor flutter of laughter throughout the room at Asterius' teasing. Zagreus smiled as he heard Theseus take on a familiar indignant tone.

"And what exactly do you mean by _that_ , friend?"

"Only that you left yourself open a couple of times, staring at him the way you were."

There was a ripple of much more clear laughter at the king's expense. Zagreus even indulged this, chuckling into his hand. As he listened, Theseus made a polite request for someone, presumably one of the men cleaning him, to back off for a moment. A moment later, Zagreus felt a spray of droplets hit him as water was splashed, and he guessed that the petulant hero had thrown water in Asterius' face, making him grin all the wider.

"Silence yourself!" came the incensed response. " _You_ were distracted, too!"

Asterius was unabashed. "Indeed I was. The power of the gods is a fearsome thing, and none moreso than Her Grace Aphrodite."

"That wretched goddess..." came the angry muttering. "See if I entreat her again..."

This was a fairly accurate depiction of how frustrating it could be to land on the wrong side of the goddess of love. Zagreus had indeed accepted her help during this latest trip up the Underworld, and felt her blessing empowering his braced arms. It had felt quite good to land his knuckles right in Theseus' face, and leave him both with a bloody nose and a dazed look on his face, or rather two--one from the impact, and another from the rush of affection and perhaps a lurid vision that had come to him when Aphrodite's power had seeped into his head as consequence. True, Malphon was not the smartest choice to go up against spear and shield with, but a grand piercing arrow through the heart had quickly fixed that. Now here the king stood, in full health but with ego perhaps chipped a bit.

"Perhaps you _should_ entreat her." Asterius murmured in response. "I would think you'd find it suitable vengeance, would you not?"

"You disgust me." Theseus answered, and Zagreus heard a bit of a chuckle in his response. Peeking an eye open only momentarily, Zagreus saw a smiling Theseus punching the Minotaur lightly in the stomach. He quickly closed them again afterward. Perhaps that was something to look out for in future. He reminded himself to keep Anthos closeby for usage should Theseus attempt to implore the sly love goddess' aid. He was not interested in fantasizing about this man...

"It'd be cute! _Ow!_ "

Zagreus did not recognize this voice, and assumed that a lesser hero had piped up to tease Theseus too and been swiftly reprimanded. It was too late, however, and the damage was done--a chorus of jeers and laughter rose up around him as each of the men contributed their own take on this.

"Enough." came Asterius' calm order, and these immediately quieted down. "We have all been on the wrong end of Aphrodite's power in this recent excursion of the prince's."

"Urgh. Let's finish bathing, I'd like to forget that as soon as possible." Theseus said, voice now distinctly sullen.

The sounds of bodies wading deeper into the water reached Zagreus' ears, and he clenched his eyes shut even tighter, refusing to let his eyes see anything that would give rise to lewd thoughts. The sounds of conversation gave way to the tingle and drip-drop of water caressing skin, and he hated the way his body reacted. He hated how, even in darkness, his eyes knew exactly what images to draw in his brain. He never should have come here the first time. Perhaps he should simply learn to wait longer before revisiting Elysium on his finished missions to the surface.

The conversation died out, and Zagreus kept his ears strained. He was still far enough out of the way as not to be discovered, right? The sounds of water being disturbed continued, and occasional chatter broke through, but in the main, all was quiet. The prince did not know how long he stayed there, crouched against a wall, invisible, only that it was long enough that he eventually won the battle occurring in his mind and body and could call himself suitably relaxed and in good conduct. He could occasionally hear a door opening, and wondered if it might be worth it to try and sneak out, yet he didn't. After what must have been at least half an hour, surely, far longer than his eyes had ever remained closed for anything but sleep, he finally saw fit to open them.

The garden was near-empty now, the King and the Bull now alone as they had been last time. Zagreus watched them sit still, neck deep in the water for some time, before hesitantly standing up, the latest cursory check proving that he was still invisible. They stood up as well, and he froze, watching Theseus first wade through the water up to the bank and then turn over, laying himself out on his back on the wet sand with arms behind his head. Within a few moments, Asterius joined him. And again, there was quiet for a time.

"...You bathed for rather longer than usual that time, king."

"...Did I?" Theseus asked, and the prince saw him take on a ponderous look. "...Hmph. I suppose I needed to rid myself of the image of that contemptuous lowlife's face!"

Zagreus' mouth twitched into a frown. Though his voice wasn't any different, there was an undertone of the same pomposity and pride he was familiar with running through those words.

"I...suppose you did, king." came Asterius' answer. There was uncertainty in his tone. "Do you feel alright? You seemed somewhat agitated when leaving the water just now."

"I do feel... _off_." Theseus answered. "Perhaps I should get back in? I know I swam and washed for quite a while, and yet I still do not feel entirely clean."

"Quite bemusing." Asterius said.

Zagreus watched as, as though bidden by some sudden determination, Theseus sat up on his palms, staring at the opposite riverbank. There was a strange look on his face, as though trying to solve a tough riddle. That mystified look changed to frustration, his brows furrowing, and although it was difficult to tell with the darkness of his skin, Zagreus thought he might have gone flush.

"We should train." he said suddenly.

The Minotaur's face betrayed no surprise, but he took his time answering, as he watched the King of Athens head for his items and begin clothing himself (Zagreus gave a quiet sigh of relief).

"As you wish. My king?"

"Yes, Asterius?"

The Bull leaned up as well, pulling his knees up.

"I did not offend you earlier, did I?" he asked. "With my teasing regarding the rogue prince?"

"What are you talking about, Bull?" Theseus demanded, and his tone was so genuine that Zagreus' heart sank. Yes, it really was as simple as a routine bath to completely change a person, by all appearances. "I've no recollection, but I can assure you, you could never mar my pride! Now, at my side! That hell-sent demon will be upon us again, soon! And I will be ready this time!"

Asterius rose, and began to don his own robes and armor, still peering at Theseus. He snorted, and began to sniff the air. Zagreus' eyes went wide and he held his breath.

"...And have you any plans of vengeance, my king?" he prompted. "Perhaps with regard to whose divine aid you will choose to grant swift death in the arena? You did mention Aphrodite..."

Theseus stopped moving, and for one moment, Zagreus wondered if Asterius had pierced a memory not wiped by the rinse in the Lethe, only for the king to then declare:

"A brilliant idea, Asterius! That brute deserves naught more than love's cold sting! Poetic--I like it! Come, let's take our weapons and practice! I will pierce him through the heart this time!"

Both heroes fully dressed and armed, they strode right past Zagreus, who shrank to make himself as small as possible and waited for them to exit through the nearest door before bothering to exhale. He had been left with a lot to ponder.

What exactly did a person go through, when submerging themselves in the waters of oblivion? He strode to the water's edge, considering. As he gazed upon the fog spilling across the invisible surface, he thought of how Asterius barely seemed to miss anything at all after a wash, while Theseus seemed to become an entirely different person when on the other side of a bath. These waters were supposed to soothe sorrows. Perhaps the Minotaur was so less affected because he took his losses in stride? Losing a fight to the death, if anything, seemed to fill him with joy, if Zagreus had read his prior interactions with the stoic Minotaur correctly. Theseus, naturally, was a much more prideful being, and probably had a lot more shame to erase by wading in the river.

Yes, he'd been cowardly and nigh-virginal in his self-assured refusal to observe a handsome man in the nude, hilarious, but then again, it was _Theseus_ they were talking about here. In retrospect, he felt annoyed with himself for spending that much thought on sexuality at all. When his eyes had been closed, what he had heard of the humbled Athenian's demeanor had actually seemed pleasant enough. He'd seemed to be having fun, and without having to kill someone, for a change.

He'd do this again, before it became guilt. He should at least try to use this knowledge to strike up a friendship, oughtn't he? If that failed, fine, but even if he never achieved any sort of camaraderie with the arrogant blowhard, at least he could say he'd given it a fair shot.

And that said, this was still pretty fun. Spying was becoming enjoyable. Who knew what else he might find out if he hung around places with the gift of the Sigil more often?


	3. The Offering

"Ah, Theseus. So good to see you again."

"Your tone is as dry and insincere as ever! But I am truly joyous to see _you_ again as well, cretin, for I behold another opportunity to send you hurtling back to the depths where you belong!"

Zagreus let out a snort. "And before we begin, I don't suppose it's worth asking if you received my, ah, show of goodwill from before?"

Away from the indignant, _sparkling_ pride of Theseus' face, the prince saw Asterius squint.

"I did, hellspawn, and you will be disappointed to find your nefarious, underhanded attempt to poison me before our next battle has failed!"

A murmur of disapproval, followed by boos, rippled through the crowd in the stands, and Zagreus sighed, hefting his spear.

"To the death, then."

* * *

"So you kept it."

Zagreus was up to his usual mischief. In fairness to himself, he had also begun sneaking around to 'inspect' Tartarus and Asphodel after clearing them, using his trusted Sigil of the Dead as always, and the gossip was good. He even had excuses this time, that being that he wanted to check up on the aftermath of his little offering to the Champion.

And as it happened, that endeavor was yielding much. Theseus sat, nude but dry, under the shade of a tree, one leg drawn up and an arm laid out over the knee. Asterius was bereft of armor, but still clothed, and occupied another side of the same tree. In the hand clutched close to Theseus' abdomen was a small crystal bottle full of golden liquid that gleamed in its corked container. He was swilling it around, looking down onto it as though he expected to have a conversation with it.

"It means nothing."

A snort from Asterius.

"It's not poisoned, you know, I promise."

"How can you know that?" Theseus answered, his tone a mixture of bitterness and irritation.

"Because the short one gave me one as well, some few trials ago. Doubtless you'd have noticed if I was beset by illness or distemper, much less death."

"I can't believe you took that from him!" Theseus said, his voice barely affecting the outrage he seemed to have intended. "And that you drank it! He is our enemy, Asterius!"

"He is our _opponent_ , Theseus." The Minotaur corrected. "And he needn't be that every minute of every hour. If he and I are not friends, certainly we are cordial enough. I see no reason not to become so as well, king, or go further along the path of camaraderie...if you thought yourself capable of it."

There was a huff from the Champion as he looked at the bottle in his hand with disgust. But still he did not discard it.

"I've no need to accept this." he reasoned evasively. "I've tasted of this and much more, as befits my station as the greatest hero of Elysium! Not to mention a great many of these as gifts from adoring fans. If I wanted nectar, I'd hardly need to stoop to drinking what the interloper would send my way."

"The treat remains yet rare." Asterius answered. "And you remain yet stubborn."

There was silence for a time. Then...

"I hate him." came the eventual mutter, quiet enough that Zagreus had to strain to hear it. "He is an arrogant, baleful, destructive, impious, vulgar, swindling, desecrating, con artist! A thug with brawn in adequate supply, but nary a brain in his skull nor a heart in his chest! A charlatan, an imposter, a fraud...a stain on our hallowed grounds, and a pain in my ass!"

Theseus' voice had risen quite a bit in volume by the time his tirade came to its end, but Asterius did not respond. After another lengthy silence, Theseus spoke again, so quiet that Zagreus again strained to hear him, even stepping a bit closer to do so.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" whispered Theseus. "If this should turn out to be a deception, a prank that leaves me exenterated, or disboweled, or...or worse, some insidious concoction that drives me to paw after him?"

"I would never betray your trust like that, my friend." came the murmured answer, and Zagreus felt a rush of respect and admiration for Asterius that no doubt mimicked the one Theseus himself was feeling right now.

Shortly thereafter, he uncorked the bottle and lifted it to his lips.

His eyes closed, and Zagreus saw his cheeks pucker and twist into something like a smile, the sort of reaction one couldn't consciously stop when drinking the substance, as he well knew. There were a few moments of relaxation, the king slowly swallowing each mouthful as it was brought past his lips and onto his tongue. Nectar was a sweet drink that contained the purity and freshness of clear, clean water with the sweet, golden taste of honey, among other, more fruit-like tangs. That it never spoiled was a bonus ensuring that Theseus' indecision had not cost him.

At last, he tilted the bottle upward, draining it to the last drop before letting it fall again. When it was gone, his mouth twitched again, and slowly, stubbornly curved back from a pleasant smile into a grimace. His eyes remained closed for a moment while he took a deep breath.

"...And?" prompted Asterius.

"It's...good." Theseus admitted after a moment's hesitation, opening his eyes. His lockjawed frown softened somewhat as he opened his eyes and stared down into the now empty bottle. "Refreshing, I suppose."

It could be difficult to tell with Asterius, but Zagreus thought, when he glanced over to him, that he was smiling.

"And not poisoned, I should hope?"

"Oh, pipe down, Bull. Time will tell on that one." came Theseus' annoyed response, only for a massive arm to swing over his head and wrap around his neck, dragging him into a one-armed hug. Zagreus didn't envy the king, as despite the considerable size of his neck muscles, that did not seem a safe position to be in. Nonetheless, the Minotaur held him not against his will, merely against his indignation.

"Sometimes, I feel as though I've figured out why you bathe so vigorously in the river, king."

"Oh? You'll have to tell me later, I've just had a brilliant idea. Here, you hold onto this if it pleases you." Theseus answered, dropping the crystal bottle into the Bull's lap as he shrugged out of his embrace. Wasting no time, Theseus stood up, dusted himself off, and strode over to the riverbank, following it to a ledge where he could dive into the water from, doing so in a beautiful splash that sent droplets into faraway Zagreus' hair. Asterius gave a chuckle.

The underworld prince, too, had a feeling he understood at last why the Champion sought to scrub himself raw in that river. Though it made him smile, it also made him think hard, made him a tad uncomfortable. He had some questions to ask, but for now he would draw away into a corner, until such time as a door opened that he could slip away through, or until the King and the Bull left. Perhaps, on his next trip up through his father's domain, he might needle one of his benefactors...

* * *

"I've a question for you, Lady Aphrodite..."

The shimmering pink orb felt like soft skin against the palm of his hand. The sly smile of the love goddess peered back at him out of its depths.

" _And whatever might that be, little godling? Do tell me what fascination has brought you to probe of my thoughts and feelings..._ "

"I'm aware you've been aiding one Theseus for quite a while now." Zagreus said with a frown. Aphrodite's simpering face bore a look of false surprise and then a pout.

" _Surely you've no desire to complain of this, darling?_ " came her answer, with a hint of warning. " _You've the help of our whole family up here, while Theseus can beseech only one. As your countless victories have proven, even our might assisting the Champion cannot stand in your way..._ "

"Be assured, my lady, I've no need to arrest you with accusations. The will of the gods is immutable, of course." Zagreus placated. He continued: "My probing is not into the battle prowess of good Theseus when he stands in my way, but of his character. I was wondering, you see, of the possibility of Theseus' affections towards someone."

A look of genuine shock crossed the face of Aphrodite, followed by an unmatched glee that he'd never before witnessed on it.

" _Why, that is a scandal! You've decided to seek the love of the Champion? Ohhh, do tell me more! Can I help? Is that what you're asking?_"

"Ahh--" Zagreus started, flushing red. No, that was not what he was asking. "If you'll forgive my corrections, my lady, there's been a misunderstanding. See, I've come to gauge your senses. I have my suspicions that Theseus has fallen for someone, and was wondering if you had anything to do with that...?"

The grin left Aphrodite's face, to be replaced by her former pout, and she tutted. " _I can assure you, dearest, I've not touched the heart of Theseus even once. I would know if I had, and as loud as the Hero of Athens is, I'm sure you would, too._ " she said. " _I only lament that I hadn't thought of it, sooner! I'm so interested to see how this plays out!_"

Zagreus crossed his arms, his mouth slowly bending into a crooked half-smile. "So, you've no idea how Theseus came by the rumored tug of heart? But then, you wouldn't tell me if you did, now would you?"

Aphrodite's coy smile had returned. " _No, darling, I wouldn't_. _Not that I'm not eager to help! So, how does this information please you, little godling? Onto a little bit of gossip? Eager to find out what sort of man or woman has stolen the heart of heart's thief?_ "

"Now that you mention it..." The underworld prince took on a thinking look, as if this thought were only just now occurring to him. "Truthfully, it matters not who the Champion's heart belongs to, so long as it isn't one of four people: Achilles, Patroclus, Asterius, or me. If he seeks to intrude on the grand love between my teacher and his other half, it's no business of mine, except to tell him he's chasing a lost cause. If he seeks to bed the Bull of Minos...well, different strokes for different folks. But if it's me he's after, why, that would be a conundrum, don't you think? If only there were some way to get him to tell..."

As he had no less than expected, Aphrodite beamed with initiative.

" _You stay right there, dearest! I can't miss what happens on this little venture! I'll prepare something, don't you move a muscle!_ "

And so Zagreus was left to peer into the pink orb of power, the face of the love goddess now gone from its empty surface. With no conversation to distract him, he was left alone with the soft breeze and rustling leaves of the Elysian gardens, the soft scent of fruit hanging in the air before it started to become something more floral... There was a clinking sound from the orb, as though from a great distance, and the surface shuddered and shimmered.

" _Well, we'll call this a blessing of some sorts, won't we?_ " the goddess' voice spoke, before her face reappeared. " _Accept this, and make sure to catch it with hands open! If you're truly that curious about the love of another, this will help you out. You will need to catch dear Theseus off-guard in some way. When you have, you will take a finger and, gilded with the concoction I've provided, brush it across the Champion's face, just under his eye! This will inspire confidence and command in his heart, and lead him to confess any feelings he has for the one who left the mark there. If he's fallen for you, he will proudly tell you so the next time you see him, and if not...well, I suppose nothing will change! Do pass that along to your next suspect if you should find his affections have passed you by. Ready?_ "

Trying to remember all of this at once, Zagreus took a moment to confirm his answer, placing his hands under the orb. When it vanished, into his palms dropped a small ceramic well, stoppered and painted a deep red. This was where the floral scent had come from, and judging by the petals falling to the ground past his fingers, roses had been one of the ingredients used within.

"So...I just put this under his eye..." the prince said, holding the little container up to his eye, "and the next time he sees me, he'll confess whatever feelings he has? Whether it's hatred or love...sounds reliable enough."

He just hoped that the goddess wasn't deceiving him. The Olympians were known for mischief, Aphrodite most of all, and mischief was only the _least_ they were known for. This could have catastrophic consequences if he were being misled.

Of course, consequences didn't matter much in the overall scheme of things, now did they? He had the Styx, and Theseus the Lethe, so what was he to do except take the advised course of action? Hesitation wouldn't get him anywhere. The next time he defeated Theseus and returned to freely traverse the gardens, he would keep a close eye on him, following him until such time as he could be caught alone and unarmed...

He did wish he ran across Theseus more often before facing him in the arena. If his suspicions were correct, and Theseus had somehow fallen for him, it would humiliate him even beyond Zagreus' acceptable threshold if he were compelled to say as much in front of a stadium full of people...

Nothing for it, he supposed.


	4. The Bittersweet End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alas, that tragedy strikes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Features ancient Greek wrestling, unfortunately bereft of oil.

The sound of gentle breathing was all that could be heard in the glade.

After many failed attempts, and much waiting, Zagreus had found the moment, the opportunity to do as instructed by the goddess Aphrodite. This particular garden hosted Theseus as its only inhabitant, so rarely without Asterius and occasionally an entourage of fellows and admirers, and he was sleeping. His position was familiar, bereft of armor and clothes and weapons, all of those discarded nearby, and resting quietly against a statue of some faceless hero. Zagreus was unsure of whether he had yet bathed in the river Lethe, having only just found him, and he was worried that the substance contained within this well in his hand might wash right off if it was applied before a dive. And yet, he did not feel as though it was wise to wait and see whether the king was taken by manic confidence or humility in this instance, as it was likely he wouldn't get another chance like this.

So, invisible to the naked eye and with practiced care, the underworld prince crossed the glade and approached what, if he was right, was a possible suitor. One step at a time, careful to make as little noise as possible, he closed in on the reposing Champion. Zagreus could see the rise and fall of his chest, and his hair fluttered slightly in the gentle breeze. He was not entirely bare, upper arms still ringed with bronze braces and head still wrapped in a softly glowing blue laurel. He could easily see what Ariadne had fallen for in this man. He restrained his breath, giving Theseus no reason to awaken, and slowly crouched down on the grass beside him. Lifting the red well that held roses in its scent, he slowly removed the lid from it, setting it down on the grass to the right of his foot. The scent hit him anew, all the stronger, and he looked down into it, finding a paste every bit as crimson as the container. He lifted his right hand and pressed a thumb down into it, and it came away tipped with the thick cream. Now, all he had to do was....

The prince's brow furrowed and his tongue poked from the corner of his mouth in concentration, as he slowly, carefully, extended his hand towards Theseus' face...

" _Ah!_ "

His wrist had been grabbed, so suddenly that Zagreus jerked back, finding that Theseus' eyes had opened and were glaring at him. Before he could free himself, the little well went rolling as he was set upon, swung and thrown. His world was flipped and spun and he found himself hitting the ground hard on his stomach and chin, his wrist still captive and his free arm promptly restrained as well. In a second and a half, Theseus was atop him.

"Aargh!"

"Caught in the act!"

It was not until the king's bellow reached his ears that Zagreus realized what a bad situation he was now in. Theseus was kneeling on the backs of his legs, leaving him completely and utterly helpless.

"Look at you, blackguard! I had told Asterius to be careful of poisons and tricks, but did he listen? No! And here I find you with guilt staining your fingertips! How ignoble and cowardly, and how appropriate that you truly thought I would fall for it!"

Throughout this declaration, Zagreus struggled, flailing his limbs and writhing and thrashing, all to no avail. _Come on_ , he thought, _I've still got divine power I've not yet rid myself of! If I can just..._

But it was no use. He called upon the blessings running through his veins, those of the mighty god Poseidon and his rival Athena, and felt them surge through him--and for a moment, he could fight, leaning up defiantly and wresting his arms slowly back towards the ground, and from there hoping to throw off the Champion--but just as quickly, he felt himself pressed face-first back into the ground, his resistance brushed aside in a shocking display of strength from a king Zagreus had thought by now a simple matter to defeat.

"You are a fool, hellspawn." came the sneering voice of Theseus as he adjusted and lifted one knee off of Zagreus' leg, only to drive his foot into his lower back. "You forget so easily that it was I who slew the Minotaur in my youth, with only my bare hands. You've no hope of beating me in a test of strength."

The prince grunted against the dirt, spitting out grass. Time to try a different tactic.

"W-Wait! I wasn't trying to poison you, honest!"

"A lie the same as the rest, hellspawn! You've no need to deny it when the evidence is right here!"

"I'm serious! Let me up, and I'll prove it to you!"

"I _could_ do that..." Theseus answered, with the tone of someone momentarily humoring a petulant inferior, "...or I could snap your neck and send you back to the depths with your shame!"

"Wait, king! Give me the chance to die in fair play!" Zagreus responded, panicking. "I wasn't ready for your lunge! In a truly honored contest, I'd defeat you easily!"

Those seemed to have been the magic words. Unable to resist this mark against his supposed prowess, the king's grip could be felt loosening somewhat. But he did not let go entirely.

"Bold words, blackguard. As arrogant as ever, to think yourself a capable wrestler. Yet your weapon mastery rotates as often as your tactics. Perhaps there's some sport to be had in thrashing you soundly after such bragging?"

Still sufficiently restrained and squirming, Zagreus decided perhaps total honesty might produce some results, or at least shock the Champion enough to let him go.

"I know you drank the nectar, Theseus!"

But this did not change anything.

"I know you know, hellspawn." came the voice above him. "You are a fool yet again, to think whispers of your enshrouded form did not reach me even as you held off from vanishing in the arena! And a fool once more to think I did not realize you were skulking around the Elysian gardens, tainting it with your presence! I suspected you were present, when I partook of your... _insult_ , and I knew you were here this day, as well! Your cunning is great, brute, but mine surpasses!"

This was genuinely surprising. He had not thought Theseus capable of holding a deception of any sort, so loud a braggart was he. Had he really been found out, despite his precautions?

"Don't you care that you stand poised to grant ignoble death to a fan? A friend, perhaps?"

"We are not _friends_ , hellspawn." Theseus answered, with an acid in his voice that surprised even Zagreus; perhaps it was the presence of it in his voice without accompanying pride and superiority? "But I will rise to your challenge, and you will rise also."

With that, Zagreus was released, and he scrambled to his feet, hastening to create distance between himself and the vengeful hero.

"And you've not wrestled before?"

"No, I haven't." he answered resentfully, rubbing his back where the king's foot and later knee had pressed into it. "But I'm quite sure I have what it takes."

"How bold of you, cretin." Theseus said, eyes narrowing. "Strip, then, and prepare yourself!"

"I..." Zagreus stopped short, wondering if he had heard right. "I'm sorry, what? Did you say _strip_? Why?"

"Ignorant fool! Do you know nothing of Attican practices? Of mortal sports?" Theseus answered angrily. "Wrestling is done nude, so as not to dirty or destroy fine clothing! In grander tournaments, it is done in the honor of Zeus, and displays of the male figure are customary to that purpose!"

Zagreus had, in his repeated trips back down through the underworld as of late, seen Theseus clothed as often as not, though the occasion of the latter was common enough that he might could say he had grown used to the sight, enough to not flush with embarrassment and enough to hold a conversation as he was now. But while he had grown desensitized to the hero-king's bare body, actually baring _himself_ , for the other to see, and for the other to touch, even for a brutal wrestling match...the thought made him hesitate, not to mention feel red blood heating his cheeks.

"Ahh...hrm, okay. I'll just..."

He was unable to think of an excuse in time, and with Theseus standing there looking at him expectantly, was forced to comply with his own hare-brained boast. He began to disrobe, acutely aware of the king's eyes still on him as he laid his clothes on the ground next to a bush. When he at last stood naked, he straightened himself and resolutely met Theseus' gaze, the better to prevent his eyes from wandering. His opponent spoke:

"I lament I've no oil to complete the spectacle of my latest defeat of you. You are aware of the rules?"

"Tell me." Zagreus answered bluntly.

"I see." Theseus crossed his arms, before continuing. "In a standard wrestling match, we would be in a palaestra, but that is a bit far from here, so we'll perform as is. The goal is to throw your opponent to the ground from a standing position, so that his back and shoulders, or his chest and chin, meet the earth. When one defeats the other in this manner three times, he is allowed to engage him in a hold until his opponent is unconscious or submits. Any questions?"

"I've got one." Zagreus said. "Since we're not fighting to the death, and I'm not ascending to the surface right now, what exactly do I get if I win?"

"You desire to make a wager? State your terms, then, hellspawn!"

"Alright..." Zagreus said, taking a deep breath. "If you win...well, you get whatever you want, I suppose. Surely if you need more nectar, you'll find it. And if I win...you're to stop calling me 'hellspawn' and 'blackguard', and all that other stuff, got that? My name is _Zagreus_ , and that's how you're to address me. ...Or 'prince', that will work, too."

"I see. If those are your conditions, _hellspawn_ , then we are finely agreed! Ready yourself!"

Theseus took a wide-legged stance, arms out, palms facing him, and Zagreus mirrored him immediately. All he had to do was throw Theseus to the ground three times, and then get him in a hold? This would be easy...

The man came at him, fast and fierce, clashing against him, and the prince caught him with both hands, his burning heels digging into the dirt underneath him as he stopped the charge. Having fought Theseus many times before now, he was well aware of the man's strength, and leaned forward as much as he could to combat it. Worse than the man's power was the body containing it. The prince could not afford to be shy in this endeavor, but feeling Theseus so close, the phallus dangling between his legs threatening to brush against his thigh...it didn't do wonders for his concentration. Zagreus forced himself to breathe evenly and to concentrate, for if he didn't, this would not be the simple win it should be.

Their arms were braced against each other, and for a few moments, they stood at a stalemate, until suddenly, the pressure against him relented. Theseus suddenly leaned back, hands still gripping Zagreus' forearms, and Zagreus was pulled forward, nearly bent double while Theseus stood erect. Every lewd thought that had entered Zagreus' brain on being faced with a broad chest, a sculpted abdomen, and v-lines leading down to a gargantuan cock was driven out of his head when a knee rose to meet him, right in the nose.

The prince was sent straight-backed again, dizzied, and before he could right himself, his stumbling form was caught across the chest by two open palms, pushing him back. Zagreus went hurtling backward onto the ground, the back of his head knocking against the dirt and signaling that he had lost the first round.

"Going down so easily, hellspawn?"

_Alright...let myself slip up that time, no need to worry. Just got to do better the second time._

Zagreus pulled himself up, dusting himself off and brushing grass out of the hair on the back of his head. Once he was sufficiently recovered, he readied himself, and this time he went on the offensive. He charged the hero, who met him easily, catching him and holding him in place while refusing to give up ground--and instantly the prince regretted this. They were now much closer than they had been in their previous lock, with no such graceful distance between their bodies--the other man's length was pressed tightly against his thigh, and his own to Theseus'. He feared that, if this did not end soon, the effects on his libido would show, and he would disgrace himself.

The two of them seemed to have the same idea at the same time. At once, they pushed away from each other, each stumbling a bit as they staggered backwards, and tried anew to get a grip on the other. Theseus dodged Zagreus, and the prince whirled, ducking out of the way of a blow aimed at him and circling around him.

They were a whirl of spinning limbs, each one rotating and dancing out of the other's reach, trying to catch the other before he regained his balance, and finally, Zagreus saw an opportunity and snatched it. His arms lunged from behind the hero, and his hands found purchase on either side of Theseus' midsection. The prince pushed, and pushed, trying to force the Champion forward and onto his chest, but Theseus leaned back, his legs forward and his heels dug into the ground beneath him. Suddenly, Zagreus knew what he'd do before he tried it.

Before his opponent could relent on the pressure again and send him hurtling forward with his own momentum, he instead leaned back. Instead of pushing him forward, he instead tightened his grip on the other man, lifting him right up over his head and backwards. With a grunt, Zagreus pulled off a mighty suplex, intending to crash the bighead's skull right into the ground. But there was resistance, and he stumbled, just in time for legs to lock around his head. This time with a yelp, he found himself the one sent flying up and backwards, thrown over the other man's form. Somersaulting through the air, he hit the ground on his palms and feet, recovering quickly. Theseus was quite an athlete, with that. Was he already on his feet?

All Zagreus saw before he charged was that Theseus' back was still turned. Catapulting forward, he tried to get his hands around the other's midsection again, and succeeded just as the king had turned to face him.

"Yeargh!"

Each time he engaged the other man, it was like smacking into a brick wall. But this time, he thought he had him, having caught him just enough unawares. If he could...just...

"No, no-!"

Theseus had locked his arm over Zagreus' back, and twisted, and the two went sprawling. Zagreus fumed as he got a mouthful of grass, now flat on the ground, having fallen for his own trick and been suplexed right into the dirt. Theseus was already pulling away from him, having caught himself on an elbow.

Spitting out blades of grass, the prince pulled himself up onto his palms, and shook himself off. Slow to stand, he reflected on how close to a loss he was.

 _No matter_ , he thought. _I've pulled victories from worse conditions before. I can still win this..._

* * *

" _Hrurgh!_ "

His face hit grass yet again, and he scrambled, trying to find his limbs and get his body up and off the ground before the hero-king pounced, but too late--!

"Got you!"

"No!"

And then Theseus was atop him, the weight of his body pressing down on him, and his limbs were being seized yet again. Zagreus struggled defiantly, but to no avail, unable to wrest his limbs away from the other man or to get out from underneath him.

" _Rrrrrrgh._ "

"You've lost, as expected, _hellspawn_." Theseus spat, the typical smug edge to his triumphant tone. "Which will be your name from here on out!"

"Alright, you've won!" Zagreus answered, eyes shut tightly, trying to ignore the weight of the other man. If he would yank on his arms just a bit tighter, the pain might distract him from the fact that there was a cock pressed against his lower back, or that his own was still traitorously stiffening, slowly but steadily.

"I think not." crowed Theseus. "You made a wager and will be made to adhere to it! Sit still, so that I can enact justice!"

He had not the faintest clue what the king was talking about, until one of his hands was released. His struggles going no further than they did before and being ignored all the same, he craned his neck, trying to see what the other man was doing, and found him snapping a branch off of a nearby bush and using it to paw at the ground, or rather something on it. It was red...was that? Yes, it was that well full of rose paste he'd been about to smudge onto this idiot's face before all of this had happened. After some shimmying and squirming, Theseus managed to roll the well over to them and grab it without losing his grip on his prisoner.

"Now we shall see what exactly your schemes entailed, blackguard!"

Zagreus tried to keep his mouth closed, but a red-tipped finger was forced past his lips, pressing against his tongue, and he was forced to let it go instead of biting it off when a thumb and an index finger held his nostrils closed and prevented him from breathing. The paste was...well, it was no nectar, but it had a nice taste all the same. It started out somewhat tangy, almost sour, and then softened into a sweet taste that got more delicious the more it melted on his tongue. Perhaps in defiance of what Theseus had expected, Zagreus did not spit it out, instead swallowing it, if only to prove to his better that it wasn't a trick.

"See?" he asked. "It's not poison. Now, get off of me, you dim beautiful bastard!"

He froze, as did the king atop him. He was quite sure even the air had stilled, perhaps time itself. What the...

"What did you just call me?" Theseus asked quietly.

Zagreus did not know how to respond. He was quite sure he had not consciously decided to let 'beautiful' slip past his lips, and yet it had anyway. His thoughts were whirring through his brain at breakneck speed. What was he going to do now? Had that been the concoction he'd just swallowed that had made him do that? Before he could separate his thoughts, quite apart from focusing on the cock that was somehow now nestled right between his thighs, Theseus yanked hard on his arms, causing him to cry out, and spoke again.

"Answer, blackguard! While your body decays, I want to know why you spied on me! Hoping to gain a more intimate knowledge of my battle techniques, perhaps?"

"My body isn't going to decay because that wasn't poison!" Zagreus insisted angrily. "And I spied on you because-- _mmrrph!_ "

He had caught himself in time. His mouth had continued to move despite him not actively trying to speak, and he knew at once that this was indeed a result of his swallowing the floral substance just now. With no hands free to cover his mouth, he had simply opted for the only choice: pressing his face into the dirt, blocking his words off with a mouthful of grass.

But Theseus did not allow this. Bending one arm so that he could press a foot down on his hand (and making Zagreus moan into the dirt when the shift this caused rubbed their bodies together), Theseus grabbed the prince by the hair on the back of his head and yanked upward, ripping it away from the ground and freeing him to speak once more. Horrified, Zagreus listened as his mouth continued to move and words tumbled out.

"I spied at first because I was curious, and then because I wanted to see you!" he gasped out. "You were beautiful, and naked, and erotic, and you were so different than in the arena! You were quiet, and humble, and gentle, and fun! I had to see what you were like before you bathed, because each time you did, you reverted back to a character I already knew!"

After the words ended, there was silence for a few moments, and yet what must have been hours, days, ages. Theseus did not release him, nor move at all. Zagreus would prefer simply to die at this point. He had spilled the truth--much more of it than he would have willingly, and he cursed Aphrodite in his heart. At last, the king spoke again.

"I see..." he said quietly. "When you first labeled me, undoubtedly in accident, I was driven to suspect the worst. I have never considered it beyond a treacherous cretin like yourself to attempt to beguile an enemy into falling for you. Now, though...I suspect what you intended to lace me with was a truth-telling serum, was it not?"

"In essentials, yes!" Zagreus answered, hating himself. "Not poison, though! Never poison!"

"Silence, monster." Theseus ordered, pressing him back against the dirt. Was it Zagreus' imagination, or was he...? "Your actions are cowardly and dishonorable, as befits you. I've a mind not to kill you at all, but perhaps to impale you to the ground by the limbs, so that all in Elysium might see your shame and humiliation, as I've every right to do in accordance with your ill-proposed wager!"

 _No_ , Zagreus begged internally, yet still too stubborn to voice it, _no, no, no, just kill me, snap my neck, anything but that..._

"But instead, I think I have a few more questions for you. My first question then, hellspawn, is this: what are your true feelings towards me? State them now."

Zagreus would gladly have told Theseus that his true feelings towards him were that he was a loudmouth braggart whose obnoxious personality made him an incredible disappointment for how the stories surrounding his heroics and kind nature had built him up. Unfortunately, his mouth wasn't listening to his brain, and it responded to Theseus' prompt in ways still more mortifying than before.

"I don't know!" he answered. "I don't know! I was quite sure I knew everything about you, and had dismissed you as a presumptuous, dim-witted whore for attention and glory, but after witnessing you in your private moments, I began to regret this position! I admitted to myself you may be more than I was initially aware, and even started to respect you enough to try and make things go smoother between us! Once I saw you drink the nectar and speak with Asterius, I began to think that you might be experiencing the same, and suspected you had grown an affection for me! Suspecting that made me want it to be true, so I entreated Aphrodite to give me a potion that would help me determine if I was right!"

 _Damn you, Aphrodite..._ he thought. Was that _really_ how he felt? He had all but confessed a desire to court the man...did this mean affection for Theseus had blossomed in him, exactly as Aphrodite had first thought before he corrected her?

Silence. Truly awful silence, and stillness. Surely, this was a torment devised in the deepest reaches of Tartarus.

"Hah. So, you desire for me to fall for you?" Theseus said at last, still in his oddly quiet voice. "How very typical. You and every other soul in the Underworld."

The prince was in a bind. Enough so that, when he was given another order, he followed it without complaint.

"Close your eyes. And keep them closed, or I will snap your neck and sprint throughout Elysium letting every shade know exactly what you just told me."

Theseus began to move, keeping hold on his wrists, but not painfully so. Zagreus waited for his phallus to slide away from his needing body, something that took entirely too much time, and not for hesitation on the king's part. Theseus had stiffened during this conversation, and he wasn't the only one, which made Zagreus especially reluctant to get up when his limbs were pulled to indicate such. Blindly, he staggered up, shamefully aware of what was throbbing between his legs, and wondering what the king thought of it, since he made no comment. He was led in some direction, unwilling to risk defying Theseus to look. After a few paces, he was knelt down, and a hand was removed from his right wrist. He could've twisted out, broken free, but he decided to let this play out. His surprise came when the hand that had freed him was brought to his lips, wet with water.

"Do not swallow." Theseus instructed. Zagreus' other hand was freed as Theseus took him by the back of the head and made him bow, the better to have water run across his lips and tongue, clearing it of the dirt and grass he had stuffed into it in an attempt to keep silent. He wondered if it was water from the Lethe, or from Theseus' own wineskin.

"Keep your eyes closed." the king repeated.

The prince did so, and what happened next shocked him almost enough to open them again.

Lips were pressed against his, and a tongue slid past them and gently met his own. A wet hand slid across his jaw and cupped it, another one resting on his shoulder.

Chills ran up and down his spine. For a moment, he was still, undecided on how to react. As his brain began to work again, it became clear that, though there were other choices, the right one was obvious. With a slight tilt of his head, and a short intake of breath, he too was moving his lip against Theseus', extending a hand to touch something, anything, finding a thigh and running fingers up it, along hips and along obliques, traveling higher to find chest and then shoulder.

He supposed, as the two of them quietly moved closer and deepened their kiss even further, that he might have been right about his suspicions of Theseus. It should have been obvious when the king asked his specific feelings. All too complicated, those things, and if there were a chance to exchange them in such a simple way as this, all the better.

Things were heating up. A hand was now tangled in his hair, and his own were exploring the broad expanse of the Champions muscled back. Their weights shifted, and Zagreus felt himself pushed backward and down, and his shoulders met the cool grass, which suddenly felt quite welcoming to the bruises under his skin. The king was atop him, and the feeling of his touch was wonderful, and the taste of him sweet. There was far less shame, now, regarding the state of his body, the stiffness of his phallus, and a moan slipped past his lips and into the space between them when Theseus' own length was rubbed against it, his hips rolling and grinding shaft against shaft.

There were no words said for quite some time, so absorbed in each other were the two warriors, but Zagreus eventually found the words to ask...

"Can I open my eyes yet, Champion?"

"You may."

His mismatched eyes found blue ones staring back at him, but did not linger. Beautiful though they were, he did not want to miss anything, and he drank in the sight of him, every inch of him, so different than in the arena...so much better from below. And his hands did not stop their eager exploration, either. He pulled the king yet closer, into yet another kiss, and the two of them rolled, sliding against each other on the green, landing near where the grass turned into moss and silt at the edge of the Lethe, and for a moment they were on their sides, holding each other close, and then a moment later, Zagreus had found purchase and then found himself atop Theseus instead.

"Mmn."

Like this, he could have his way. His fingers and palms were slow, but never fixed, admiring the vast amounts of muscle contained within Theseus' arms, near-bursting with strength, the flat armor-like slabs of muscle atop his torso, the clean, defined abdomen chiseled as if from marble. After a certain point, just as his hands had done the work of his eyes, his tongue took over and did the work of his hands, drawing across one of the most beautiful, masculine bodies Zagreus had ever had the pleasure of contact with. And Theseus certainly enjoyed it. The instant the prince's tongue touched his throat, a moan left it, one that increased in volume when it was dragged down his collar, and then across his broad chest...there was a hand on the back of his hair again quite promptly.

He held the king's shoulder with one hand, keeping himself steady as he devoted himself to tasting as much of the Champion as possible. With the other free, it was left to wander, and eventually encountered Theseus' own hand. Zagreus hummed as he took it, slipping fingers between fingers and feeling his hand squeezed in return.

His journey took him down, and his chin found the head of a cock far sooner than he expected. Damn this loudmouth, but aside from having a beautiful body, he had to go and have a cock endowed like that of Priapus himself. He knew what he wanted with that cock, but for the life of him, how to prepare for it? He started with the only thing he could, which was taking his tongue up and down along the length of it, enjoying the shudders and moans he was producing as he did so.

Here he was, sucking King Theseus' cock. And _enjoying_ it.

Fitting his mouth around the thing was far more of a task than simply licking it, but he managed it somehow. The moans continued, and his own joined Theseus' as he worked at it, pressing the head towards the back of his throat but never quite managing to get it that far. The hand that up til now had been braced against shoulder slid down, trailing that wonderful torso down until it was then traveling along his own body. Zagreus slipped a finger between his legs, first tending to his needy and neglected cock, working it a bit to keep himself hard, and then slipping lower, between his thighs, finding his entrance and gently massaging it open.

Oh, yes, he wanted this. He would judge himself and shame himself for it later. But for now, lest his newfound partner come down his throat, he intended to fuck himself on this beautiful man's cock. It took time, and effort, and he found himself lamenting the lack of oil. They would have to wrestle again, and properly. The thought of their two bodies slicked up and colliding within a slippery sheen...how wonderful that would feel, and how much easier it would be to undertake this...

Minutes passed, full of soft moans, and fingers threading through hair. At last, working himself open with a second finger, and trying to fit a third in, the prince felt he was ready. He pulled himself up, and he saw Theseus' head jerk up, eyes snapping open as the oral sex ceased. Those eyes remained full of fervor, and a little wonder, as Zagreus raised himself up, positioning himself neatly, holding himself poised to pierce himself on his cock...and slowly, slowly, he descended.

Neither of them seemed to breathe. Zagreus missed the oil that much more as he realized just how big the king's cock really was, and there was pain despite his preparations. He soldiered through it, managing to slide halfway down before he had to stop. Then, up, letting himself exhale as his body relaxed...and then back down. His eyes had closed somewhere along the way, and when he opened them, he looked down, finding Theseus' hungry gaze meeting his own. Then...

"That's it, hellspawn..." came the Champion's voice, a near whisper but full of an unmistakable challenge, " _ride me._ "

A grin broke onto his face. He could do that. Leaning forward and bracing both hands on those flat, wide pecs, Zagreus straddled the king properly, drawing deep breaths while his body adjusted to the size of the shaft within him. Once the pain began to fade and leave only pleasure, he was ready. He rose up, and then slammed back down, and the shock of it, the brush of a wide glans against his prostate, sent jolts through his legs and up his spine. He did it again, feeling a cry rip free of his throat, and Theseus' moaning increased in volume yet again.

Hands found his ass and helped him, and soon he was bouncing up and down, impaling himself over and over on the hero's phallus. The two of them were no longer just moaning, there were needy growls filling the air between the two of them, and fire was filling Zagreus' insides. He chased it, spiraling down the path of pleasure further, and further, and further...

"Fuck me..." he moaned, delirious with pleasure. "Fuck me, king..."

"Heh."

He had not spoken expecting an answer, not expected any action except the repeated thrusting of cock into his insides. But there was movement underneath him, and more importantly, he was suddenly deprived of that all-too-important thrust. He made his displeasure known with a whine, until he was pushed back. He had thought, for a moment, that Theseus simply preferred him to lean back, perhaps bracing against his raised knees, and perhaps spurting the fire of his loins against his own chest rather than his. But it went further. All of a sudden, Zagreus was being pushed onto his back yet again, and as he ignored the ache in his shoulders that only served to turn him on more, Zagreus found his legs spread, and a cock that had slipped out of him aimed and returned to his ass. He moaned, and howled, as he laid back and submitted himself fully, his legs atop Theseus' too-round shoulders, his neck craned up so he could sate his hunger for the sight. The hero looked nothing short of glorious from here, fucking him with reckless abandon...

" _A-Aah, aargh..._ "

Stars erupted behind his eyes as the white-hot fire inside him reached a critical point. He spilled, sperm racing through his cock and splashing against his chest. And still Theseus was not done, did not stop, and Zagreus would never have asked him to. His body remained stiff, held in place by tension and desire, as the king worked out what surely had to be a vast amount of sexual frustration on his ass.

But that look in his eyes was more than hunger, Zagreus thought. He would be a fool to dismiss this as simple lust, no matter how eagerly this man presented it as such. Perhaps Theseus saw the futility in that, too, and that was why he stopped, why he pulled out, why Zagreus gave a frustrated curse into the air.

"No! No, no no--"

He did not have to protest long. Theseus bent forward, and sealed his lips over Zagreus' own once more. Their tongues tangled, communicating something too complex for words, and when he pulled back, his tongue was then on the prince's cock. This, combined with fingers entering him, stretching him, almost made up for the loss. Moans reverberated through his chest at this ceaseless, merciless pleasure. And even this came to an end. Zagreus was a breath away from pleading for Theseus to simply end it, and let his body rest, but this protest was immediately swallowed. His body, so tense, then relaxed, so suddenly that he collapsed against the ground in full, when a tongue made contact with his hole.

 _He truly does leave no measure untested.._. Zagreus thought, in a haze of post-orgasmic bliss as his thighs were spread apart and tended to. Caresses of tongue against his entrance gave way to a full on thrusting of that wet muscle inside of him, and a whine left him. He was being rimmed, and he wished he had it in him to cry words of pleasure, of encouragement, but all he had anymore was ragged breathing and sounds that vaguely resembled the voice of a man. Orgasm wracked his body a second time, though it came through dry, and only then did Theseus halt and pursue his own pleasure again.

When Theseus positioned himself atop the prince, between his legs and all but wrapped around him, palms braced to either side of his shoulders, Zagreus opened his eyes and stared up, determined to burn the image of it onto the inside of his skull. He was pierced yet again, and he had no resistance left in him. He wrapped himself around Theseus right back, welcomed his embrace like a lover, legs locked around waist and arms slung around shoulders. Their final kiss was hot and deep, and Zagreus did not break it for any reason. The hero fucked him, made _love_ to him, held him and pressed him into the earth, and when a third orgasm found him, it was neither dry nor alone. King Theseus spilled inside him, his body tensing and shudders traveling his spine that was being traced by the rebel prince's fingertips, and then the two of them dropped, flat against the ground in a heap.

For a time, there were no words, or even the possibility of them. Breathing seemed to be a whole new unfamiliar skill that Zagreus had to re-learn.

"Hah....hah..."

Theseus had pulled himself up to lean on an elbow, and looked him in the eye. Zagreus had thought he was going to speak, only to feel another kiss against his lips. This kiss, much like their first, was mellow and easy, more a lazy intertwining of tongues than anything. Occasionally teeth would gently bite his lip, or the tongue would venture to trail against his jaw or trace circles on his cheek. Zagreus hummed his approval, and simply returned the small affections, until finally he felt strong enough to speak, and felt enough silence had passed.

"So, was I right then, Hero of Athens?" he asked, a small grin playing at his mouth. "Are you harboring affection for me?"

Theseus frowned.

"Perhaps I simply thought you might be a good lay." he said stiffly.

"Oh, come now." Zagreus protested. "If it were only that, we could've been having hate sex ages ago. If I'm wrong, my feelings won't be hurt. Be truthful to me, though. I didn't think I'd done much worthy of the greatest Exalted's eye."

"You haven't." Theseus answered him flatly. As if to underscore this, he looked away determinedly, as if possessed of a disgust Zagreus knew wasn't there. "But...Asterius talks of you, you know. Like you, I have heard tell of a much different character than I find in the arena. I brush him off most of the time, I know better."

Zagreus let this hang for a moment, a little disappointed when he thought that this was all he would hear, but then the king continued:

"I found you attractive enough." he admitted. "Your cockiness disgusts me, hellspawn...and can entice me, when I'm of certain moods. I admit I do not know you well, and I cannot entirely contain my curiosity to know more. And then you sent me that damn nectar..."

"You've got a similar quality about you." Zagreus answered. "The only thing more frustrating than you, is being attracted to you. I'm ashamed that I bother, of course."

He was grinning, and he was pleased to find the corner of the king's mouth twitching upward.

"The nectar was an honest gift, you know." he reminded him. "I would like us to be friends. Even though you've made a strong case for retaining our 'mortal enemies' style of rivalry, I truly wouldn't mind kinship with you. Perhaps I could sate your curiosity. Give you something to spurn true affection, even."

"Perhaps." Theseus answered.

And they were silent for a time again. When at last they moved, it was because Zagreus had found his hand taken again, and he was led into the river Lethe's silent, misty waters.

"Heh. I suppose I could use a bath..." Zagreus said, hesitantly wading into the cold waters.

"That, you could." Theseus answered him gently, and the prince waded in after him, led by the hand until he was waist deep. And then...

"Glurgh!"

Hands were on the back of his head! He was being plunged face-first into the water! He struggled and flailed, desiring to retaliate against Theseus' audacious idea of a playful end to their little tryst, except...he wasn't letting go.

Zagreus' nostrils began to burn as he resisted inhaling, struggling even harder, slipping on the silt under his feet, losing his balance. What was Theseus doing??? He couldn't hear anything, nor see anything, white fog being the only thing visible to his eyes under the water. A hand was lifted and pressed down on his back, and he realized--

_He's drowning me! Why is he drowning me?!_

The white fog seemed to spill into his eyes, into his brain. It clouded the inside of his head, and he began to lose feeling in his thrashing limbs. The Lethe was taking hold of him alarmingly quickly... He inhaled, and didn't feel the resistance in his chest that he thought he would when his lungs filled with water... The heat and anger of betrayal had had but a chance to flare up for a moment before they, too, were being smothered and softened and quieted to nothing...

In what seemed to be far too short a time, all remaining tension left him, and he felt himself sinking...

* * *

"Uuuurrrghh...."

The underworld prince felt unusually sluggish as he drifted over to the stairs and dragged himself free of the pool of blood leading into the House of Hades. He wasn't experiencing the usual soreness that he did after dying. In fact, his body felt pretty good. Just a little too heavy, as if he'd been sleeping too long and simultaneously not long enough. Passing Hypnos without comment, he muttered an oath of vengeance, to no one in particular.

He had strolled past the lounge and back to his bedroom, and had just begun to peer into the Mirror of Night, when he realized he couldn't remember how he'd died. Come to that, he couldn't remember anything about his latest trip at all. Surely he had had a bad run in-with a monster, or a Fury, or an Exalted, right? But he wracked his brains, and could not find any memory of anything past leaving his balcony and leaping down into Tartarus. As a matter of fact, when he tried to remember things before that, like speaking with those around the house or doing any sort of work, his mind swam with fog, unable to detail even that much.

"Strange..." he muttered.

Focusing on pain usually helped him get motivated to do another run. Not that he retained any wounds once he rose from the Styx after it carried him back to the house, but generally, it worked. Yet, try as he might, he could not even vaguely remember being hurt or injured, despite it being certain he had died. Indeed, when he tried to call back on his latest run, he felt the urge to smile, like some sort of blissed-out dimwit. Perhaps he had landed a particularly satisfying blow to smug Theseus' face when they had met in the arena?

"Maybe I should sleep." he finally admitted, gazing hesitantly at his bed. Strolling over to it, he slowly laid down, and his body agreed, bidding he sink into the sheets and pillow. But despite his pronouncement, and his laying prone, he felt no desire to sleep, only rest. 

Now that he thought about it, given that he couldn't remember dying, perhaps he had simply been taken by the Styx after proceeding too far into the mortal world and away from the gates of the underworld? He did not recall amnesia being a side effect of this, though. Perhaps he should ask Nyx...or Charon.

Damn, had he remembered to return to Charon's shop before leaving the Temple? He remembered now that he'd been making habits of retreating back down into the Underworld after vanquishing his father. It pained him to think of all the obols lost to his carelessness. And that meant he wouldn't have checked back in on Elysium, or Asphodel, either...

Wait a minute...

"Hmm."

No, exact details were still eluding him. But he remembered what he'd _wanted_ to do. He'd been seeking to spy on Theseus and the Minotaur, hadn't he? How had that nectar he'd sent been received, he wondered, for he easily remembered passing that to Asterius for the king's appeal. That had surely happened. He had also intended to entreat some god or other for advice...but of what matter?

He'd go back on another jailbreak after a short nap. The Champion was waiting out there somewhere, and Zagreus was eager to find out more about him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Regarding Theseus' comment of "Attican" practices: the Greeks never called themselves Greeks, and the closest proper name we have to their society are the Helenes, or Hellenics--but that name only arose after the story of the Iliad and the character of Helen of Troy. As Theseus lived before this, the closest thing to a stately society as we knew the Greeks then would be Attica, whose territory Theseus greatly expanded after slaying the Minotaur.
> 
> * The rules of Greek wrestling were slightly modified here (to resemble modern wrestling) for the sake of the sex scene.


End file.
